Automatic railway-switch.



J. E. WRIGHT.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1a, 1909.

950,254. Patented Feb. 22, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES: INVENTORY @ZZ/S I v ATTORNEY J. E. WRIGHT. AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH. APPLIOATION FILED MAY 18, 1909.

Patented Feb. 22, 1910.

2 SHBETS-SHEBT 2.

swim) T JAMES E. WRIGHT, OF BAY CITY, MICHIGAN.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY-SWITCH.

Application filed May 18, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES E. \VRIGHT, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Bay useful Improvements in Automatic Railway-Switches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact de scription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to railway switches, one object being the provision of a switch which is capable of being closed automatically by a train running in either direction on the main line.

Another object is the provision of a switch which can be automatically opened by a train on the side track when about to pass onto the main line.

To these and other ends, my invention consists in certain novel features and combinations such as will be more fully described hereinafter and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the switch mechanism, Fig. 2 is a side view of the tripping mechanism carried by the train, Fig. 3 is a detail of the switch point operating means, Fig. 4 is a detail of one form of track instrument intended to be actuated by the tripping mechanism on the train, Fig. 5 is a detail view of another form of track instrument, Fig. 6 is a detail view of the train-carried tripping mechanism, Fig. 7 is a detail view in section, of the double toggle joint, and Fig. 8 is a detail of one of the shafts and its connected parts.

A indicates the rails of the main line, and B, the rails of a side track, spur or branch.

1, 1 indicate the switch points connected by the usual cross-rods 2, 2.

My invention consists in the provision of means for throwing the switch points and means for actuating such point throwing mechanism.

As one form of point throwing mechanism, I provide a four-armed spider, the alined arms 3, 3 of which lie at an angle to the alined arms 4, 4, the spider being apertured at the intersection of the arms to receive a bolt 5 carried on a stationary bed Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 22, 1910.

Serial No. 496,730.

plate 5, the bolt being received in a slot 6 in the bed plate, which is fastened to the road bed in any suitable manner. The slot 6 preferably lies parallel with the direction of motion of the switch tongues and the bolt is provided with a shoulder 7 received in the slot and preventing rotation of the bolt.

The free ends of the arms 8, 3 are pivotally connected to offset levers 8, 8, one of which is pivoted to any stationary point, as the rail A, the other lever being pivotally connected to one of the switch points 1. The free ends of the arms 4, 4 of the spider are similarly connected by offset levers 9, 9, to a fixed fulcrum and to the remaining switch point 1. It will be seen that I have in effect provided a double toggle joint, consisting of the leaves 8, 3, 8, one end of which is fulcrumed and the opposite end secured to one of the switch points, together with means for guiding the joint in its movement. The ends of the levers 8, 8 are turned in opposite directions, the same being true of the ends of the levers 9, 9.

In order to straighten or break the toggle joints, I provide the oppositely extending rods 10, 11, the adjacent ends of the rods being preferably, though not necessarily, connected to the ends of the arms 3, 3, at their juncture with the'levers 8, 8. The opposite ends of the rods are pivotally secured to cranks 12, 12, carried by the suitably journaled shafts 13, 14, located on opposite sides of the switch points and extending preferably between the rails of the main line track. The cranks 12 and arms 3 do not extend to such a distance above the track as to be en gaged by the train.

Track instruments are secured to the shafts and are adapted to be engaged by the train or a tripping member on the train to actuate the switch. One such track instrument adapted to be engaged by a trip on the train, is indicated in Figs. 2 and 4 and consists of an arm 15 fastened on shaft 18 at a point outside the track rail A, such arm being conveniently curved as at 16, on that side engaged by the trip to permit the trip to wipe over the arm after it has been thrown down. The hub 17 of the arm is provided: with flattened faces 18 coincident with the upright and lowered positions of the arm and the. free end of a spring 19 ;bell crank lever or its equivalent 21, carried by the train. In the illustration I have shown such bell crank pivoted to a bracket 22, forming a part of the engine frame and depending a suflicient distance to support the trip in position to engage the track instruments. The bracket is provided with an abutment 23 adapted to engage a stationary abutment 2 1 to limit backward movement of the bell crank and sustain the shock of contact of the depending arm of the bell crank and the arm 15. That face of the depending arm of the bell crank which engages the track arm is beveled ofi as at 25, in order to wipe over the similarly beveled face 16 of the track arm when the latter is thrown down. The trip 21 is maintained yieldinglv in position as shown in Figs. 2 and 6, by means of a link 27 encircled by a spring 28, the ends of which bear against a stationary part of the engine and against a projection on the rod. One end of the link is connected to the trip 21, the opposite end of the link being connected to a bell crank lever 39 which is actuated by a rod 30 extending into the cab of the engine. The rod 27, at its point of connection with bell crank lever 29, is slotted to permit the trip to be moved to inoperative position by engagement with the track instrument and against the tension of the spring 28, when the engine is backing out of a switch, without actuating the rod 30.

The operation of so much of my invention is as follows: Assuming that the switch is open as shown in Fig. 1, the track arms 15 and 20 will be in raised position, the double toggle joint 8, 3, 8 will be bent and the double toggle joint 9, at, 9 will be straight. A train traveling in the direction of the arrow, desires to remain on the main line. The trip 21, which is normally in lowered position, engages the track arm 15, throwing the latter down into substantially horizontal position. This movement of the track arm partially rotates the shaft 13 and throws its arm 12 and rod 10 forward to straighten the bent toggle joint 8, 3, 8. Since the outer end of the lever 8 cannot move longitudinally, pressure is brought to bear to swing 'the arm 3 on its pivot- 5, such swinging movement being communicated to the lever 8, tending to'bring the leaves of the joint 8, 3, 8 into alinement. The pin moving in a rectilinear path defined by the slot 6,

guides the movement of the toggle joint, the straightening of which increases its length and forces the switch points over to closed position. An exactly similar action will take place ifthe train is traveling on the main line in a direction opposite to the arrow, the" wheels of the train in that case engaging and actuating the track arm 20. In the event that the trip 21 or the wheel flanges become worn or do not operate to throw the track arms 15 or 20 to their full down position, the switch will nevertheless be thrown over on account of the straightening action of the toggle link which will take place automatically after the knuckles 31 have passed the dead center between the fulcrum point and the point of attachment of the lever 8 to the switch point 1. It is obvious that as the toggle joint 8, 3, 8', is straightened, the opposite double joint 9, t, 9, will be bent because of the rigid connection between the arms 3 and 4. The springs 19 serve as locks to releasably retain the switch in open or closed position. If a train approaching the switch in the direc tion of the arrow, desires to take the switch, the engineer will pull the rod 30 toward himself, thereby raising the trip 21 against the tension of the spring 28 so that itcannot engage the track arm 15 to close the switch.

As one means for permitting a train on the side track to throw the switch automat ically to open position to enable the train to enter the main line, I equip the shaft let with a fixed arm 33 lying adjacent the side track rail B, the arm 33 being arranged to extend in a direction approximately diamet rically opposite the arm 20. Thus, when the arm 20 is in' upright position, indicating that the switch is open, the arm 33 will extend downward somewhat below a horizontal position. Vice versa, when the arm 20 is in its depressed position extending substantially horizontally forward toward the switch, the arm 33 extends in approximate horizontal position on the opposite side of the shaft. A tongue 34 is secured to the arm and extends upward through the eye 35 of a stationary bar 36 fastened in the road bed. cent the tread of side track rail B, when the switch is closed. The wheels of a train on the side track moving out onto the main line will engage and depress the tongue to partially rotate the shaft 1% and exert a pull on the rod 11 which will bend the double toggle joint 8, 3, 8 and straighten the toggle joint 9, t, 9, bringing the parts to the position shown in Fig. 1, to open the switch and permit the train to pass onto the main line. A switch stand having a quadrant plate 37 is located at the side of the track, a hinged switch lever 38 being pivoted relative to the The upper end of the tongue lies adj aquadrant and connected in any suitable manher to a link 39 which is secured to one arm of a bell-crank 40, the remaining arm being loosely pivoted to the rod 10, whereby to en able the switch to be thrown by hand. This switch lever is hinged as at 32, just outslde of the quadrant to allow the end to hang down when not in use so that it will not strike any one that mightbe standing by when a train closes or opens the switch as the case may be.

The switch lever preferably is not provided with a dog as the lever, if locked when the switch is in open position, would prevent the automatic closing of the switch by a passing train, but an aperture 41 is provided in the quadrant and the lever is provided with an aperture 42 adapted to register with the aperture 41 to receive a lock of any suitable description (not shown), whereby the switch may be locked in closed position, thereby rendering it impossible to use the side track without breaking the lock. The tongue 34 will be left in raised position, but since it can only be operated by a train on the side track, this will do no harm when the switch is locked in closed position.

I have provided an automatic switch operating mechanism wherein the switch cannot be gigged over from one position to another, by pressure brought to bear on the switch points, owing to the fact that in either position one or the other of the double toggle joints will be straight and will prevent movement of the switch except through the operation of the toggle joints themselves.

From the foregoing it is obvious that I have provided a switch which can be closed automatically by trains on the main line approaching the switch from either direction. Also that the switch can be automatically opened by a train on the side track. The trip 21 on the engine is normally in operative position to engage the track arm. When the engineer wishes to take the side track, he will raise the trip by pulling back on the rod 30, until the trip 21 passes over the track arm 15 and then will merely release his hold on rod 30, whereupon it will automatically move to its normal position by the energy of spring 28, which is compressed when rod 30 is pulled back by the engineer. The trip is hinged so that when a train is backing out of the switch, the trip will ride over the track arm without bringing pressure to bear thereon and without operating the rod 30, as link 27 is loosely connected to the bell crank 29 to permit the link to rise without moving the bell crank 29. When a train passes head on out of the switch onto the main line, or backs in on the switch, the engineer need pay no attention as the trip will lie on the opposite side of the track from the track arms and hence, they do not come in contact with each other. Turn buckles may also be provided on the rods 10, 11 and 39, for purposes of adjustment.

Changes might be made in the form and arrangement of the several parts described,

' without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus fully disclosed my invention, what 1 claim as new, is z- 1. An automatic switch mechanism comprising movable switch points, means for shifting the switch points laterally, a car device, means for retaining the car device normally in operative position, means projecting into the path of movement of the car device on the main line when the switch is open and actuated thereby for automatically operating the switch shifting mechanism to throw the switch to closed position, and means on the side track automatically operated by the wheels of an out passing train for throwing the switch to open position.

2. An automatic switch mechanism for railways, comprising switch points, suitably journaled shafts located on opposite sides of the switch, train-actuated track arms car- 'ried by the shafts and adapted to be raised when the switch is in open position, a car device normally in position to automatically actuate the track arms when raised, switch shifting means connected to the switch points, means connecting the shafts and the switch-shifting means, and yieldable locking means engaging the shafts for preventing accidental movement thereof and retaining them in their adjusted positions.

3; An automatic switch mechanism for railways comprising laterally movable switch points, means connected with the switch points for shifting them laterally, suitably journaled shafts located on opposite sides of the switch, train-actuated track arms carried by the shafts to permit the switch to be antomatically closed by trains traveling in either direction on the main line, means connecting the shafts and switch shifting means, members fast on the shafts and having two flattened faces corresponding to the positions of the track arms when at one or the other of their limits of movement, and springs engaging the flattened faces.

4. An automatic switch mechanism for railways comprising movable switch points, means connected with the switch points for shifting them, suitably journaled shafts located on opposite sides of the switch, trainactuated track arms carried by the shafts to permit the switch to be automatically closed by trains traveling in either direction on the main line, a bell crank separate from the automatic c -2.1 .erating m a s, 9 a

prising a laterally movable switch, a double j toggle joint consisting of a pair of levers,

i the outer end of one lever being stationarily fulcrumed, the outer end of the opposite lever being secured to the switch, and a link pivotally connecting the adjacent ends of the levers, a movable bolt on which the link against which the trip normally rests to; limit movement of the trip 111 one dlrectlon, j

yielding means for automatically retaining the trip in operative position, and means for actuating the trip to move it to inoperative position against the tendency of the means for normally maintaining the trip in operative position.

6. An automatic switch mechanism for railpoints, a main line, a side track, means connected with the switch points for shifting them laterally, and means on the side track adapted to be automatically engaged by a train and connected to the switch shifting means for opening the switch to a train leaving the side track.

points, a main line, a side track, means connected wlth the switch polnts for shifting projecting arm fast on the shaft, a wheelactuated tongue pivoted to the arm, a guide for the tongue, and means connecting the shaft and switch shifting mechanism.

8. A switch mechanism for railways comprising a laterally movable switch, a double toggle joint consisting of levers and a semirotatable arm connectlng the ad acent ends of the levers, one end of the toggle joint beone end being stationarily fulcrumed, the opposite end secured to the swltch, the ends 1 of the joint being offset relative to the knuckles when the joint is straight, and

means for actuating the joint to operate the switch.

10. A switch mechanism for railways comprising a laterally movable switch, a double toggle joint, one end of which is stationarily is pivotally mounted, means for guiding the bolt, and means for actuating the toggle joint to shift the switch.

12. A switch mechanism for railways comprising a laterally movable switch, a double toggle joint comprising a pair of levers, and a link pivotally connecting the inner ends of the levers, the outer end of one lever being stationarily fulcrumed, the outer end of the remaining lever bemg secured to the switch,

the outer ends of the levers being laterally offset in opposite directions, and means for ways comprlsmg laterally movable switch actuating the joint to shift the switch.

13. A switch mechanism for railways comprising a laterally movable switch, a pair of double toggle joints, one end of each joint being stationarily fulcrumed, the remaining ends of the joints being secured to opposite switch points, and means for actuating the toggle joints.

' 7. An automatic switch mechanism forrail- -ways comprising laterally movable switch' I 14. A switch mechanism for railways comprising a laterally movable switch, a palr of double toggle joints, one end of each joint being stationarily fulcrumed, the remaining them laterally, a suitably journaled shaft, a

ends of the joints being secured to opposite switch points, the double toggle oints being interconnected, and means for actuating one of the toggle joints to shift the switch.

15. A switch mechanism for railways comprising a laterally movable switch, a spider having divergent arms, levers connected to the arms of the spider to form a pair of double toggle joints, the outer ends of certain of the levers being stationarily fulcrumed, the outer ends of the remaining levers being secured to the switch, a bolt on which the spider is pivoted, means for controlling the direction of movement of the bolt, and means for actuating at least one of the double toggle joints.

16. A switch mechanism for railways comprising a laterally movable switch, a double toggle oint, one end of which is stationarily fulcrumed, the opposite end being secured to the switch, a laterally movable pivot located intermediate the ends of the joint, and means 1 for actuating the joint.

17. A switch mechanism for railways comprising a laterally movable switch, a double fulcrumed, the opposite end bein secured to the switch, a movable bolt to which the joint is pivotally secured, means engaged by the bolt for causing it to travel in a rectilinear path, and means for actuating the toggle joint to shift the switch.

11. A switch mechanism for railways comtoggle oint, one end of which is stationarily fulcrumed, the opposite end being secured to the switch, a laterally movable pivot located intermediate the ends .of the joint, a rod connected with the joint, and a train-actuated 18. A switch mechanism for railways, com- I be automatically engaged by an out-passing prising a laterally movable switch, a car detrain on the side track, only when the switch vice normally retained in operative position, is closed, to open the switch. track devices on the main track on opposite In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature 5 sideslof tcllie switcli, meanslcoiglnecting thle in presence of two witnesses.

switci an trac evices, tie evices eaci adapted to project into the path of movement of the car device when the switch is vVitnesses: open, and a trip on the side track connected H. B. AURAND, 10 with one of the track devices and adapted to K. MORRISON. 

